1904 APBA Gold Cup [first running]
Hudson River, New York City NY, June 23-25, 1904


Standard Wins the Cup [Day 3]
C.C. Riotte Scores His Third Auto Boat Victory
Protest by Water Lily
Losing Craft Demands New Measurement Before Award of Challenge Trophy
High Speed Maintained

As had been anticipated by the two previous victories of the auto boat Standard for the Challenge Cup offered by the American Power Boat Association, the Standard won the third and final race for the trophy yesterday over the same thirty-two-mile course, starting from the Columbia Yacht Club, foot of West Eighty-sixth Street, and running up the Hudson sixteen miles to a point nearly opposite Piermont.

The Standard did practically as well as in her grand showing on the preceding day, when, with an average of 20.53 knots an hour, she beat all records for auto boat racing. Her time yesterday was the merest fraction slower, showing an average for the entire distance of 20.35 knots per hour, equivalent to 23.40 statute miles. This is equal to a knot in 2:57, only two seconds slower than in the second race.

The remarkable feature in the Standard's showing in the final race was the fact that coming down the river against a strong tide and the strongest wind that the boats have had to meet during the week, the Standard made the last sixteen miles in better time than the first sixteen miles up the river, with the benefit of the wind and tide. This fact occasioned marked comment and brought out the assertion from some of the critics that the Standard has not yet been let out to her full limit. Going up the Standard made the journey in 47:43, and the return journey was made in 46:38.

The Water Lily did not do so well as on the previous day, her average was showing a speed of 16.22 knots, or 3:42 per knot. By corrected time, the Standard won handily by 6:51, a wider margin than the Water Lily had been beaten in the preceding races.

An element of uncertainty was added to the contest by the announcement that the Water Lily had protested the Standard on the ground that her rating was too low. The Power Boat Association will remeasure the boat and if any change is shown the time will be corrected according to the new measurement. Summary:

CHALLENGE CUP--Third and final race

Course, 32 miles. Start, 3:05

Boat and Owner        Finish  Time    Cor'd Time 
Standard, C.C. Riotte 4:39:21 1:34:21 1:34:21 
Water Lily, F. Seaman 5:03:26 1:58:26 1:41:12 

Points for Challenge Cup---Standard, 7; Water Lily, 4; Fiat I, 1.

(Transcribed from the New York Times, June 26, 1904, p. 9. )

(See also 1904 Gold Challenge Cup Protest Finding)

[It was true, the Standard had not been "let out" to its fullest, for several years following, she would be fit with more and more powerful engines and always be a contender in races of the most powerful classes, even beating the highly touted Dixie -- GWC]

[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page]


Hydroplane History Home Page
This page was last revised Thursday, April 01, 2010 .
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. Email us at wildturnip@gmail.com
© Leslie Field, 2001